Grain-door.



No. 874,759. PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

E. B. GILLELAND.

GRAIN DOOR.

APPLIGATION FILED r1113. 6, 1907.

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N0. 874,759. PATENTED DEG. 24,1907.

E. B. GILLELAND.

GRAIN DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED IEB,6.1907.

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PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907.

RB. GILLELAND,

GRAIN DOOR.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 6. 1907.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

EDGAR B. GILLELAND, OF NEVADA, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF SEVEN-SIXTEENTHS TOJAY RINEHART, OF NEVADA, MISSOURI. I

GRAIN-DOOR.

Patented Dec. 24, 1907.

- Application filed February 6, 1907. Serial No. 356.088.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR BERESFORD GILLELAND, citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Nevada, in the county ofVernon and State ofMissouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Doors, of which the following-is a specification.

The present invention appertains to doors for freight cars such asintended chiefly for hauling grain or other commodity in bulk, theprimary object being to devise a closure which will at all timesmaintain a close joint tov prevent waste of the material and which willadmit of the door being opened without necessitating mutilation,defacing, or otherwise injuring either the door or its facing, orparts-bordering upon the door opening.

The invention further provides novel mountings for the door which whenthe door is lowered or closed will retain the same securely in place andwhen the door is elevated a short distance, will permit of the said doorclearing the guide-ways and swinging inward and upward so as to be heldagainst the roof of the car out of the way.

The invention further contemplates peculiar lock means for securing thedoor at any elevation within the range of its vertical movements.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and alsoto acquire a knowledge of the details of construction and the means foreffecting the result, reference is to be had to the followingdescription and accompanying drawings.

While the invention may be adapted to different forms and conditions bychanges in the structure and minor details without departing from thespirit or essential features thereof, still the preferred embodiment isshown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a front view of a car door embodying the invention showingthe same in lowered position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of theinner side of the door, a side of the car provided with the door openingclosed by means of the said door, the full lines showing the door closedand the dotted lines illustrating the position of the door when elevatedsufliciently to clear the guideways. Fig. 3 is a sectional viewillustrating the position of the door when swung forward beneath theroof of the car, held thereto out of the way, the dotted linesillustrating the position of the door when closed. Fig. 4 is a detailview of the door. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of theguide-ways. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing the manner of suspending theguide rods from the lower edge of the plate. Fig. 7 is a horizontalsection on the line 05-00 of Fig. 2.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the samebent to overlap the upper and lower edges of the door to which they areattached. The ends of the door are inclined to give a wedgeshapedoutline to the door, the incline being upwardly and outwardly, wherebythe upper edge of the door is wider than the lower edge. Metal bars 2are secured to the outer side of the door a short distance from theinclined ends and are adapted to make engagement with the inner side ofthe guide-ways in which the door is slidably mounted. The bars 2 may beof any'cross sectional outline and are preferably of T-form, the baseaffording firm connection of the bars with the door, whereas the ribprojects outward to engage frictionally with a portion of the guideways.A lug 3 is bolted, or otherwise fastened to the" lower edge of the doorand is adapted to receive the wear incident to starting or opening thedoor by means of a crowbar or other instrument, should it be necessaryto pry the door open. The door is adapted to close upon the floor of thecar he hind a metal strip 4 secured to the sill in any substantial wayand arranged to sustain the outward pressure when the car is loaded.Handles 5 are applied to the door for convenience of manipulation.

The guide-ways 6 are located at each side of the door opening 7 and areinclined in conformity to the inclination of the ends of the door. Theguide-ways 6 flare upwardly and are so arranged that when the door isclosed, they snugly embrace opposite ends thereof. Upon opening the doorwhich is effected by means of an upward sliding movement, the inclinedends of the door leave, or move away from the inclined guide-way 6 andwhen the door reaches acertain elevation in its upward movement, itclears the guideways and is adapted to be swung inward and upwardbeneath the roof of the car so as to be out of the way, any suitablesecuring means being employed to hold the door elevated as by means ofone or more hooks 7 applied to the carlines. The guide-ways 6 arearranged upon the inner face of a side of the car at opposite sides ofthe door opening and may be of any construction so as to embraceopposite end portions of the door and prevent lateral movement thereof.As shown each guide-way consists of a plate 8 having a flange '9 at oneedge and having its opposite edge portion rebent so as to embrace theend of the door. The plate 8 rests against the inner face of a side ofthe car, whereas the flange 9 extends along the side of the door jambbordering upon the door opening so as to protect and reinforcethe same.The guide-ways 6 correspond in length to approximately the height of thedoor and if preferred each guide-way may be formed with an extension 10,either constituting a part thereof, or made separate therefrom andattached to the upper portion of the door jamb so as to reinforce thesame upon the sides facing the door opening and the inner side of thecar. The upwardly flared arrangement of the guide-ways 6 admits of thedoor clearing the same when elevated with the result that the door maybe swung upward and secured to the roof of the car so as to be entirelyout of the way.

The guide rods 11 are pendent in the door opening from the plate and areloose at their lower ends so as to swing inward. These guide rods may beof any form in cross section and may be connected at their upper ends tothe plate of the car in any substantial manner to admit of theirswinging inward. The guide rods may be attached directly to either theinner side of the plate as indicated most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, orto the lower side of said plate as shown in Fig. 6. Vhen the guide rodsare attached to the inner side of the plate, it is necessary to havetheir upper ends bent at an angle so that the rods 11 may enter the dooropening. The door is rovided near each end with guides 12 which are inthe form of eyes, or loops to embrace the guide rods 11 and retain thedoor in proper position thereon in its sliding movements. The guides 12are provided in pairs and are located near the upper edge of the door.Suitable stops 13 are provided at the lower ends of the guide rods 11 toengage with the lowermost guides 12 and prevent displacement of the doorfrom said guide rods when swung inwardfrom the door opening. The stops13 may consist of a ring, key or the like, fitted into a transverseopening formed in the lower end of each guide rod, thereby admitting ofthe stop being removed when it is required to disengage the door fromthe guide rods for any purpose.

In order that the door may be secured when elevated to any requiredposition the following lock means have been devised, the same comprisinga rod, or bar 14, a handle 15 projected outward from the said rod orbar, eyes 16 at the ends of the rod or bar to receive the guide rods 11and bearings 17 in which the said rod or bar 14 is mounted. The eyes 16at the ends of the rod or bar 14 constitute clutch members which areadapted. to grip the guide rods 11 and secure the door in an adjustedposition with reference thereto. The guide rods 11 are either gripped orreleased by turning the rod or bar 14, the same being accomplishedthrough the instrumentality of the handle 15. The rod or bar 14 isadapted to be subjected to a certain de gree of torsional strain,whereby the clutch members are enabled to firmly grip the guide rods andyet admit of the handle 15 being moved so as to come in contact with theouter side of the door and to be secured there to. WVhen the handle 15is moved outward at its free end, the clutch members 16 release theguide rods, thereby permitting the door to be raised or lowered and whenproperly adjusted, the door is secured by moving the free end of thehandle 15 towards the door, thereby causing the eyes or clutch members16 to assume an angling position with reference to the guide rods, withthe result that they grip said guide rods at opposite sides and hold thedoor in the desired adjusted position. The handle 15 has a slot 18through which a staple 19 applied to the door passes, a pin 20 beingslipped through the staple so as to confine the handle. The in 20 may beconnected to the door by a s ort chain to prevent its misplacement.Obviously the pin 20 may be replaced by a hasp lock or other form offastener so as to secure the parts should it be required to preventsurreptitious opening thereof.

When the door is closed, it rests upon the floor of the car just insideof the horizontal strip or bar 4, thereby obtaining a close fit at itslower edge. The vertical battens near the ends of the door extend intothe door opening and touch the door jambs without binding, therebypreventing end play of the door and securing a comparatively close jointat this point. The bars 2 touch the inner faces of the plates 8 of theguide-way 6, thereby adding to the closeness of the joint. The inclinedends of the door are embraced by the guide-way 6, the fit being such asto preclude the waste of grain or other commoditywith which the car maybe loaded. When the door is closed, it is secured by the lock meanshereinbefore disclosed. To open the door to effect unloading of the car,the handle 15 is released and moved outward to effect release of theguide rods 11 from the gri ping action of the clutch member 16. T e doormay now be moved upward either by upward pressure applied to the handles5 or by prying u ward upon the lug 3. The door may be held at therequired elevationby swinging the handle 15 towards the door andsecuring the same by means of the pin or fastening 20, thereby causingthe clutch member 16 to grip the guide rods 11. After the car has beenemptied and the door has been moved upward a distance to clear theguideways, it may be swung inward and upward beneath the roof of the carand secured by means of the hooks 7 a in the manner stated.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is: i

1. In combination with a sliding door a guide rod therefor, and lockmeans for securing the door at any adjusted osition, said lock meansconsisting of a locliing rod mounted to receive a movement around itsaxis and provided with a clutch member to grip the said guide rod andmeansfor turning said rod and securing the same in an adjusted position.

2. In combination a sliding door, guide rods therefor, a locking rodmounted upon the said door and adapted to have a movement impartedthereto around its longitudinal axis and provided with clutch memberscooperating with said guide rods, and means for turning said locking rodto effect release of the clutch members, or to cause the same to gripthe said guide rods.

3. In combination a door slidably mounted and adapted to close a dooropening, swinging guide rods, connecting means between said guide rodsand door, a looking rod mounted upon the door and provided with eyesembracing said guide rods and constituting clutch members, and means forimparting a*movement to said locking rod about its longitudinal axis tocause the clutch members either to release the guide rods or grip thesame.

4. In combination with a sliding door, a guide rod therefor, and lockmeans for securing the door at different adjusted positions, said lockmeans consisting of a rod mounted upon the door to receive a movementaround its axis and provided with a clutch member to grip the said guiderod, a handle secured to the locking rod, the door being provided with akeeper and the handle being adapted to be sprung into engagement withsaid keeper, a fastening being provided to hold the handle in thekeeper.

5. In combination with a sliding door, guide rods therefor, a rodmounted upon the said door and adapted to have a movement impartedthereto around its longitudinal axls and provided at its ends with eyesencircling the guide rods and adapted to clutch the same by the turningmovement of the rod formed with the eyes, a handle formed on the lastnamed rod, the door being provided with a kee er with which the saidhandle is adapted to engage by torsional strain'of the said last namedrod, and a fastening for securing the handle to the keeper.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR B. GILLELAND.

Witnesses:

G. G.EWING, ALMoN H. MAUs.

